U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder speaks during the Human Rights Campaign’s 13th annual Greater New York Gala in New York, Feb. 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Keith Bedford)

REUTERS

The Federal Bureau of Investigation plans to hire roughly 1,000 people, after the Justice Department announced Monday the end of a three-year hiring freeze.

The thaw comes after the president signed into law a budget deal in late December that avoids the more severe reductions of a long-range budget-cutting program called sequestration.

The FBI hires will be steered toward jobs in national security, cybercrime, and violent crime, an official said.

Over the course of the hiring freeze, the Justice Department left a total of 4,000 positions unfilled. It’s not clear exactly how many of those positions will be filled now that the freeze has ended.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced the end of the hiring freeze in a memorandum and video message to employees Monday.

“After years of doing more with less, we will begin to fill critical vacancies. And we will resume the normal hiring process for federal agents, prosecutors, analysts and the other staff we need to fulfill our mission,” Mr. Holder said in the video.

About Washington Wire

Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.